Folding bed



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. B. P. FARRAR.

FOLDING BED.

Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

minfin...

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. I'. PARRAR.

FOLDING BED.

Patented Sept. 29, 1885. l

N. Pinzas, Phmrumagnpnef, vlamingen. 0.o

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. FARRAB, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING BED.

`SPl?CIL-"ICAI'ION tcrmng part of Letters Patent No. 327,077, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed June 9, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN F. FARRAR, of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California,have invented an Improvement in Folding Beds; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in the particular arrangement and construction of guide-strips by which the legs and leg-frames of the bed are kept in an upright position, and in the stops by which these guide-strips are limited in their movement to enable the legs of the fra-me to come to their proper position.

It consists,further,in certain details of construction, hereinafter'described, pertaining to the limitation of the mattress and the general cabinet structure of the bed.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, comfortable, and easily-operated bed adapted when not in use to be folded up out of the way.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view showing the bed open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same. Fig. 3 is a section on line a" w, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the bed closed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the folded bed to show its cabinet-like exterior.

A are angular three-sided frames forming the carriers or legs and provided with suitable casters, a. To the top of these are hinged by hinges b the frames B, forming the beds of the mattress. These are hinged together at their meeting edges by hinges b, adapting them to fold together in a vertical position and to open out to one continuous plane in a horizontal position. Vhen the former movement takes place, the leg-frames A approach each other, and when the latter movement `is effected they separate their limit. The hinges b between the bed-frames B are at the top of their meeting edges, and therefore the frames in folding are depressed at their centers and move down between the approaching legframes until their lower portions are inolosed by them, Figs. l, 4.

Upon unfolding the inner portions of the bed-frames rise from between the separating leg-frames until a horizontal is reached. This manner of folding the bed-frames enables me to dispose of a portion of the frames between the leg-frames, and to make the bottoms of the upper portions serve as the exteriors of the easing or cabinet of the bed when folded, the mattress of the bed being thereby completely concealed. Y The operation of folding and opening is also rendered easy, as a sufficiently great leverage is obtained on the outer ends of the bed-frames to easily tip them.

` The width of the frames B is less than the length of the leg-frames A, so that the sides of the former play inside of the ends of the latter. The object of this I shall presently show.

In the movement of the frames B, they being hinged on the edges of the leg-frames, these latter have a tendency to tip or trip on their casters,instead ofrernaining and movingsteady and perpendicular on the door. To remedy this, and to guide the leg-frames, I have the folowing: From the ends of one of the leg-frames extend, in ahorizontalposition in the direction of the other leg-frame the guide-strips D, one near the top and the other lower down. From each end of the other legframe extends a guide-strip,E, in a horizontal position,and oc` cupying aV plane about midway between the opposing strips D.l F is asupplementary leg, having a easter, and G is a similar leg. Se-

cured to the leg F are the guide-stripsf, eX-

tending horizontally about au equal dist-ance on each side ofthe leg. The upper one of the strips f is just under the strip D, and fits its lower edge by means of a suitable tongue in one and groove in the other, as shown. 'lhe lower strip f is just above the lower strip D, and slides upon it by means of a tongue and groove, as indicated. Secured to the leg G are the guide-strips g, which respectively fit and slide upon and under the guide-strip E by a tongue-and-groove connection. The strips g also fit, respectively, under and upon the strips f. and slide by means of a tongue and groove. These various strips guide and stiffen the legs in their movement, and prevent them froin tripping, making them run true and perpendicular, and it is obvious that by a suitable series of such guide-strips I may provide any number of supplementary legs. The legs F G, when the bed is folded, lie between the leg-frames A, and when the bed is opened they support its center.

It is necessary in the movements of the IOO guide-strips of the leg-frames and legs to provide certain stops by which they are prevented from separating entirely, and by which they are enabled to govern and direct each others movements to cause their legs to come to their proper places upon folding or opening the bed. Accordingly I have the following arrangement of stops, Fig. 2: Upon the pair of guides f, near their outer ends, are stops f', in the shape of projecting screws, which are adapted to come in contact with a stop, d, on the guides D, and consisting of a tie-strap set far enough out from the face of the guides to permit the stops hereinafter described to slide by without touching, Fig. 3. Upon the outer ends of the pair of guides g ot" leg G is stop g', consisting of a tie-strap let in iiush with theinner surface ofthe guides to enable it to slip by the stops hereinafter mentioned. This stop is adapted to come in contact with a shoulder, e, on guide-strip E.

- Upon the inner ends of the pair of guides f is a stop strap, f2, and upon the inner ends of the pair of guides g is a stop-strap, g2, adapted to come in content with stop f2. By this arrangement of stops the guides are limited and governed in their movements, and yet pass by each other without interference. The stops also serve to brace the pairs of guide-strips.

yH is the mattress, and I is an ordinary woven spring fabric or foundationsheet on which it rests. Under this I may or may not place the usual springs, J, or I may dispense with the spring-foundation I, as either this or the springs J will answer, as far as the'formation of a spring-bed is concerned. The mattress lies within the frames B, and is integral, extending nearly the united length of the frames. It is my obj ect to make the mattress liedown in and between the frames when the bed is folded, and to cause it to rise above their edges when opened out. AccordinglyI have the following means: Near the head and foot of the frames B, and between their sides, are cross-bars l, having a length less than the width ofthe frames, so that they may play up and down therein without friction. These bars are supported on and held by the free ends of arms L, the lower or inner ends of which find fulcrum-bearings against blocks Z or other suitable pivot-bearing secured to the inner surfaces of the frames B near their lower edges. These bearings can be made movable for the purpose of separating the cross-bars. To these crossbars the woven spring fabric I is secured, and upon them the ends ofthe mattress are secured by the straps ot' ticking M. These bars are not directly at the head and foot of the bed, a space being left between them and the head and foot boards; and it will be observed that the mattress and spring fabric I are shorter than the distance between the cross-bars when the bed is opened, except when said bars are raised on their pivoted arms to the level of the sides of the frames B, Fig. 2, This effects the following result:

Vhen the frames B are folded into a vertical position, the tension or stretch on the mattress being relieved, the cross-bars K fall down within the frames, and the mattress is completely inclosed by them, Fig. 4. As they open out to a horizontal plane the mattress, in endeavoring to follow them, but being too short to do so completely, can only assume a horizontal position by pulling on the crossbars, which, being held by the pivoted arms, cannot move together, but must rise, describing a short arc on the fulcrum of their arms, and they thus carry the mattress above lthe sides ofthe frame, as shown in Fig. 2.

Now, it is necessary, in order to keep the mattress taut, that the cross-bars K should resist the further pulling of the lnattress and to have a limit to their upward movement. This limit should be at points between which the mattress is the most stretched. Blocks or pins, against which the cross-bars come in contact, or other similar devices,could be enr ployed for this purpose; but I have found them inconvenient, as being liable to catch the clothing ot the bed, and I have therefore adopted the iieXible strap N, secured to the cross-bars and to the bottom ot' frames B, Figs. 2 and 3. If after use the mattress should become lengthened by stretching, all that is necessary is to set the fulcrum-blocks l nearer the outer ends of the frames, thus separating or increasing the distance between the cross-bars, whereby they may hold the mattress stretched.v

As the length ofthe frames B is lessened by the depression of their hinged center the tension on the mattress is relieved, and the crosse bars, being no longer supported thereby, drop down into the frames, as mentioned, and when the frames meet the mattress lies snugly between them.

The remaining feature of my bed relates to its frame-workandits appearance when closed as a result of the construction.

The leg-frames A and the supplementary legs F G constitute the base of a cabinet-like structure which the bed assumes, as shown in Fig. 5, when in a folded position. The eXterior surfaces of these parts are therefore suit- Y ably carved and provided with moldings to complete this appearance, and the fact that the bed-frames B are narrower than the leg-frames are long gives the effect on the ends of the upper portion of the cabinet by the formation of a shoulder. Upon this shoulder is afacingstrip, O, which is secured to but one of the leg-frames, thus allowing the other, as Well as the supplementary legs, to play under it. In this facing is a bolt, P, operated by a thumbpiece, p, and adapted to shoot within a socket in one of the bed-frames when opened to ahorizontal position, in order to hold the bed and prevent it from collapsing when pressure is brought on its center alone, Fig. 3.

A springlatch or other suitable catch may be used instead of the bolt.

The bottom of one of the bed-frames, which IIO becomes, when folded, the exterior and front of the cabinet, is suitably carved and provided with moldings, and the head-board Q, which is secured to this frame, has its outer surface suitably prepared and given a rail, &c., to give it the appearance of the top of a cabinet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl l. In a folding bed in which a sectional hinged mattress-frame is mounted upon carriers, the rolling leg frames or carriers A and the supplementary rolling legs F G, in combination with the horizontal guide-strips D Ef g, secured to said leg-frames and legs and sliding upon and between one another, substantially as herein described.

2. In a folding bed, the rolling leg frames or carriers A, upon which the sections of the bedframe are hinged, and the supplementary rolling legs F G, in combination with the horizontal guide-strips D E f g, secured to said legframes and legs and sliding upon and between one another as described, and the series of stops by which the movements of the guidestrips are limited and governed, consisting of the stopsff2 on the guidesf. the stops g g2 on the guides g, stop d on guides D, and stop e on guide E, all arranged and operated sub stantially as herein described.

3. The rolling leg-frame A, provided with the horizontal guide-strips D and E, and the bed-frames B, to which the leg-frames are hinged, in combination with a bolt, P, on one of the leg-frames, adapted to engagewith one of the bed-frames to prevent their folding, as herein described.

4. The combination, with the rolling legframe A and theV rolling supplemental legs F and G, each provided with horizontal guidestrips and forming, when closed, the base of the bed casing or cabinet, of the bed-frames B, the mattress H, and the arms L, cross-bars K, the blocks Z, and the straps securing the crossbars to the frames, all combined and arranged to operate as herein described.

5. In a folding bed, the hinged bed-frames B, in combination with the mattress H, the loosely-playing cross-bars K within said frame, and to which the ends of the mattress are secured, the arms L, secured by one end to the cross-bars and pivoted by the other to bedfrarnes, and the flexible straps N, secured to the cross-bars and to the bedframes, whereby the upward movement of the cross-bars is limited, substantially as herein described.

6. In a folding bed, the hinged bedframes B, in combination with the mattress H, the cross-bars K, the straps M, securing the mattress to the cross-bars, the straps N, securing the cross-bars to the frames, and the arms L, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my i 

